Another document, the employees' timetable, authorizes the movement of
all regular trains. It determines the method the dispatcher should use in
moving trains.
Along with the time schedule of all regular trains, it
contains such special instructions as a list of company doctors and
oculists, speed restrictions at specific locations within the division,
number of handbrakes to be used on cars on certain tracks, capacity of
sidings, engine restrictions, and close-clearance points.
Because of the large amount of work the chief dispatcher has to do, an
assistant chief dispatcher assists him in carrying out his duties.
The
assistant chief must be able to assume the duties of the chief dispatcher
and also the duties of any train dispatcher in the office. Others on the
chief dispatcher's staff are a telegraph operator and train dispatchers.
The car distributor is also usually located in the dispatching office,
and he sees that enough empty cars are on hand wherever they are needed for
loading along the rail line. He works closely with the dispatcher and the
yardmasters. A car distributor must be careful when advising the dispatcher
on moving empty cars. They must not be moved to a point where they will sit
empty while they are needed at another station.
The two documents a car
distributor uses in doing his job are the yard or situation report and the
consolidated empty car report. From them, the car distributor can tell the
numbers and types of all empty cars he has on hand. Two important things to
remember about car distributing in a theater of operations are that all cars
should be unloaded as soon as possible after arriving at forward areas, and
all empty cars should be kept moving toward the rear for reloading.
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